The B-47 was a hell of an achievement in it's day. Not many airplanes designed in the mid to late 40's still appear as modern as the B-47 does. Without it, Boeing would never have attempted the model 367-80 when they did. Structurally and aerodynamically, the B-47 was infinitely more complex than it's contemporaries, the F-86 and MiG-15. At Boeing, the airplane was known as the "Sacred Airplane" because upon seeing it for the first time, most people's reaction was "Holy Christ !".